Chapter 279: High School Drama

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: High School Drama

A breeze sweeping across the grounds of the University of Veyra carried a crisp, bite-edged chill, rustling the golden leaves scattered along the stone pathways.

Near the central courtyard of the campus, Aliya Rivers leaned back against a painted bench, her knees pulled slightly toward her chest as she scrolled through her phone. Sitting right beside her, Fancy was staring intently at the digital screen of her own device, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and utter disbelief.

Though its only been a day since the explosive market moves earlier in the week, the news cycle across Veyra remained thoroughly dominated by a single name: Jake Rivers.

The financial blogs, major news outlets, and student forum threads were still reeling from the sheer scale of the corporate execution that had just concluded. Newman Enterprise Group—a multi-billion mark titan that had stood unshakeable in Aurelia for over forty years—had been completely dismantled, restructured, and absorbed into Golden Sheele Corp in less than a single business week.

"Aliya... I still can’t get my head around this," Fancy murmured, shaking her head as she pointed at an article highlighting the stock market’s dramatic rally. "A conglomerate worth over one hundred and forty billion marks... just completely wiped out and rebuilt from scratch in five days?"

Aliya let out a soft, breathy laugh, though her own eyes held a trace of quiet wonder. "Honestly? I’m just as shocked as you are."

"Back when we were in Geneva on Friday, your brother didn’t say a single word about how he was going to handle those rumors," Fancy continued, her voice dropping to a fascinated whisper. "Remember when those tabloid hits dropped about him and Elizabeth Roys? Everyone in the cabin was so tense, but Jake just sat there so calmly. Who would’ve thought this was what he was planning."

"Yeah," Aliya said, a subtle smirk touching her lips as she recalled the trip. "He acted like it was just a tiny inconvenience. But the second we landed back home on Sunday... he went straight for their throats. He must have known all along that the Newmans were the ones behind those leaks."

Fancy pulled her cardigan tighter around her shoulders, staring out across the bustling campus lawn where hundreds of students were walking between lectures. "It feels so surreal, Aliya. I remember that at the start of this year... your family was going through so much. I remember how worried you were about tuition, about the house, about everything. Your family was almost rendered helpless... and now?"

Fancy paused, looking at Aliya with genuine awe.

"Now the Rivers name is literally one of the most feared and respected titles in all of Aurelia," Fancy whispered. "When people talk about Golden Investments on campus, they speak like your brother is some kind of myth."

Aliya looked down at her hands, a deep sense of warmth and pride swelling in her chest. She remembered the dark days when her family felt crushed under the weight of financial burden, when every ringing phone brought dread. Jake had carried that entire weight on his shoulders, silently rising through the brutal capital markets until he stood at the absolute apex of power in Veyra.

"He promised me something, you know," Aliya said softly, turning her head to look at Fancy with a playful glint in her eyes. "He told me that if I pass all my remaining modules and graduate with good grades, he’ll give me a few of his subsidiary companies to manage."

Fancy’s jaw practically dropped. "Wait... seriously?!"

"Dead serious," Aliya grinned, nudging Fancy’s shoulder with her own. "I’ve been thinking about it all week. Will I actually be running a massive corporate office? Will people look at me with the same terrifying respect they give Jake?"

Fancy burst into a quiet giggle. "Aliya, if you get even ten percent of your brother’s cold glare, half the board members in this city will be running for the exits!"

The two girls laughed, the tension easing as they shared a warm, lighthearted moment on the bench.

However, before their laughter could even fade, the sound of sharp, rhythmic footsteps clicking against the stone pavement echoed from the adjacent pathway.

Aliya’s smile subtly faltered as she glanced up. Walking toward their bench were three female students, dressed in high-end brand name coats and carrying designer totes. Leading the trio was a girl with meticulously styled blonde hair, wearing a smug, upturned expression that made it clear she believed the ground she walked on was a gift to everyone else.

It was Liv—a girl who had served as the class representative back in their high school days, and someone Aliya knew all too well.

Liv stopped a few paces away from the bench, folding her arms across her chest. She looked down at Aliya and Fancy with an expression laced with subtle disdain, as if she were doing them a grand charitable favor simply by standing in their presence.

"Well, well. Look who’s hiding out over here," Liv spoke up, her voice dripping with an artificial, overly polite sweetness that barely concealed her condescension. "Hey, Aliya. Hey, Fancy."

The two girls behind Liv offered tiny, disinterested nods, barely bothering to make eye contact as they checked their manicured nails.

Aliya leaned back against the bench, her expression flattening into a calm, unbothered wall. She didn’t bother standing up. "Liv. What do you want?"

Liv’s eyebrows twitched slightly at Aliya’s blunt tone, but her smug smile quickly returned.

"Always so defensive," Liv tutted, shaking her head with a patronizing chuckle. "I’m actually here on important business, if you must know. Alan and Phoebe are visiting from abroad during their mid-term break."

At the mention of those two names, Aliya’s eyes flickered slightly, though her face remained unreadable.

"Everyone from our old high school circle thought it would be a wonderful idea to organize a class reunion while they’re in town," Liv continued, her tone rising with an obvious sense of self-importance. "Since neither of you are in the official group chat, I took it upon myself to come over and personally extend the invitation."

Liv reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a sleek, gold-trimmed physical invitation card, holding it out between two fingers like a piece of scrap paper.

"We knew you two probably wouldn’t hear about it otherwise," Liv added, her eyes sweeping over Aliya’s plain campus attire with a subtle smirk. "The reunion is being held this Friday evening at seven o’clock sharp. And you’ll be glad to know it’s being hosted at the Meridian Crown."

Liv paused dramatically, waiting for a gasp or a look of panicked insecurity from the two girls on the bench. When neither reacted, Liv puffed out her chest slightly, her voice dropping into an overly explanatory tone.

"In case you don’t keep up with high society news... the Meridian Crown is a high-end restaurant owned by Jake Rivers," Liv boasted, her eyes shining with secondhand arrogance. "It’s practically impossible for ordinary people to get a reservation there. You two should be extremely excited—it’s a rare chance for you to step inside a place that is way above your social level."

Sitting right beside Aliya, Fancy let out a sudden, involuntary chuckle, quickly covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the snort that escaped her lips.

The supposed "jab" was so absurdly ironic that Fancy could barely contain herself. Liv was standing there acting like a high-and-mighty gatekeeper to a venue that was literally owned by Aliya’s older brother—the very man whose name was currently ruling the entire country’s headlines.

Liv’s face darkened instantly at Fancy’s muffled laughter. "Something funny, Fancy?"

Fancy quickly composed herself, holding up a hand as she cleared her throat with a mock-apologetic expression. "Oh, sorry about that, Liv. I just suddenly remembered a hilarious joke I heard earlier today. Don’t mind me... please, do continue."

Aliya didn’t blame Fancy for laughing. To Aliya, Liv’s absolute ignorance was completely predictable. Back in high school, after a series of petty arguments over class politics, Aliya and Liv had mutually blocked each other on every social media platform. In fact, Aliya had blocked almost all of her former high school classmates who had treated her like an outcast when her family was still struggling.

To Liv and the rest of their old class, Aliya Rivers was still just that quiet, impoverished girl whose family could barely pay for her exam fees—someone they could easily look down on to boost their own fragile egos.

"Listen," Liv snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin as she tapped her designer boot against the pavement. "My time is far too valuable to stand here waiting for you two to process this. Are you coming or not? Hurry up and give me an answer."

Fancy glanced at Aliya, silently deferring to her. She knew the messy history between Liv and Aliya.

Back in high school, Aliya had served as the vice class representative, working tirelessly to handle logistics while Liv took all the credit as the primary representative. The real rift between them, however, had formed because of Alan—the wealthiest, most popular guy in their high school grade.

Liv had been hopelessly obsessed with Alan for years, constantly trying to get his attention. Yet, subtle rumors had always circulated that Alan secretly liked Aliya, despite Alan never making an official move. That silent jealousy had turned Liv into a bitter rival, prompting her to seize every possible opportunity to humiliate Aliya whenever she could.

Aliya looked Liv straight in the eye, her posture relaxed, totally unbothered by the girl’s aggressive demeanor. A faint, mischievous smile played at the edge of Aliya’s lips.

"We’ll be there," Aliya said smoothly, her tone perfectly calm. "After all... I’ve ’longed’ to experience what the Meridian Crown is really like."

Liv’s smug expression immediately returned, fully convinced that her little display of superiority had humbled Aliya into accepting.

"Good," Liv said with a dismissive wave of her hand, dropping the invitation card onto the bench beside Aliya. "Friday at 19:00 sharp. You really ought to be grateful to Alan—he’s the one who personally booked a private VIP booth for everyone. Try to dress nicely so you don’t embarrass the rest of us."

Without waiting for another word, Liv turned on her heel, her hair flipping shoulder-length as she strolled away with her two companions, chatting loudly about how generous Alan was.

Fancy watched them walk away until they were out of earshot, before turning to Aliya with an incredulous expression.

"Aliya... are you seriously going to let her talk to you like that?" Fancy asked, half-laughing, half-annoyed. "If she finds out that Jake Rivers is your actual brother, she’s going to faint on the spot!"

Aliya picked up the gold-trimmed invitation card, spinning it casually between her fingers with a cold, amused smirk.

"Let her enjoy her little fantasy for now," Aliya said softly, her eyes glinting with a sharp, familiar calm that looked remarkably like her brother’s. "Friday night is going to be very... interesting."

Fancy tilted her head, suddenly remembering something else on their schedule. "Wait, Aliya... weren’t you planning on going to the Meridian Gallery auction? That’s also happening on Friday night, isn’t it?"

Aliya leaned back against the bench, letting out a small, indifferent shrug. "Honestly, I wasn’t really that interested in the gallery auction anyway. But hey, if you really want to check it out, we can always stop by after the reunion wraps up. The Gallery is not far from the Crown afterall."

Fancy grinned, shaking her head in amusement as she adjusted her bag. "Deal. I wouldn’t miss this Friday for the world."

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